


Midnight Baking

by frominsideacomputer



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: College AU, M/M, midnight baking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-03-21 09:43:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3687507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frominsideacomputer/pseuds/frominsideacomputer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is woken up by the smells of baking and finds a cute guy baking cookies at 3am</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

teve was woken up by the sound of the oven timer finishing. At first he thought it was just a dream, but as he lay in bed at three am he realised that he was, in fact very awake and very angry. Having his dorm room directly above the communal kitchen was not a good thing, people always stayed up too late in there, raiding the cupboards for any alcohol or snacks that weren’t labelled, but usually people were gone by midnight. However tonight, someone had decided to stay up, until three am baking something. And, oh boy, did that something smell good; a rich chocolaty perfume drifted up the hall stairs and along the corridor, sneaking under Steve’s door.   
He had two options, stay in bed and try to get some sleep; or go and find out who was baking downstairs. He couldn’t make up his mind, but suddenly his stomach rumbled loudly, making the decision for him.   
Steve sat up with a stormy look on his face and anger in his eyes. Grumpily, he grabbed his college hoodie and crept moodily along the corridor, passing Nat’s room - where usually she could be heard fucking her boyfriend, Clint - and down the stairs.   
  
He arrived at the kitchen, a full on tempest of a scowl cemented on his face and a look that would have scared Gordon Ramsey. He saw the dark haired person in the kitchen, pulling a tray of freshly baked cookies out of the oven and addressed them.   
“Why the fuck are you baking cookies at three am?”   
The other guy jumped and almost dropped the tray. “Shit! I thought I was quiet.” He turned around and faced the majorly disgruntled and exhausted Steve.   
“No,” He raised his eyebrows. “So why are you baking at this godforsaken hour in the morning?”  
The guy replied, “I dunno, I was studying until late and my roommate has his girlfriend round but I didn’t arranged anywhere to sleep.” He shrugged.   
“Literally everyone has been in that position at some point in their college life, you could have just asked.” Steve snapped, irate and bitter.   
“Look man, I’m sorry,” He held out the tray of cookies. “Have one. A peace offering.”   
Steve didn’t want to take one but at the same time he was starving after the unsubstantial meal that the cafeteria provided.  Eventually, his stomach won and he grabbed a cookie; taking a bite of the warm chocolaty goodness he desperately wanted to steal the whole tray and eat them alone in his room.   
  
“Enjoying it?” The mysterious baker asked, tipping the cookies onto a cooling rack.   
“Mmm.” Steve nodded and mumbled through a mouthful of cookie.   
“Good, I have to make one hundred of these for Student Orientation. At least one person likes them, I’ll make you eat them so it seems like ‘Engineering and Science’ was really popular.”   
“Engineering and Science? I’m literally on the other side of the quad, creative arts.” Steve was a little disappointed he couldn’t steal cookies throughout the day.   
“That sucks man.”   
Steve suddenly felt a yawn bursting out of him and, although the cookies were good, he decided to go back to bed. “I’m exhausted, and it’s Student Orientation this afternoon, so I guess I shouldn’t be falling asleep in front of all the juniors.” He left the kitchen and traipsed back up to bed, the sweet taste of cookie lingering in his mouth.

Steve then woke at nine, after a surprisingly good sleep. He stretched and went to have his morning shower, remembering to find the science and engineering stand on the quad later that day.   
The walk from the hall’s showers took him along past the kitchen, where he passed without stopping, but something had caught his eye and he went back for a second look.   
The guy he’d met last night baking cookies, was sitting slumped against the fridge door, fast asleep with flour on his face and trackies.   
Steve thought about leaving him to sleep, but then wanted to get revenge from waking him up last night, he set the egg timer for one minute, then watched and waited.   
As the clock ticked to zero, a piercing bell struck in the kitchen as the timer sounded, causing the guy to start awake and nearly scream in fright at Steve standing there laughing at him.   
“You little shit!” He yelled, standing up.   
“Now we’re even.” Steve said matter-of-factly, sticking his nose in the air.   
The guy sighed, thinking it over. “So I can’t act revenge on a guy whose name I don’t even know.” He made a fake disappointed face.   
“Steve Rogers, and you are?”  
“Bucky Barnes.”  
Steve snorted, “Your parents named you Bucky? You sound like a horse!” He struggled to get to words out through thick laughter.   
“Actually, my first name’s James, but I’ve been called Bucky, ‘cause my middle name is Buchannan, since first grade.” He stuck his nose in the air and sauntered off to have a shower. “See you later!”  
Steve called after him, “If you say so  _Bucky!_ _”_  and he wandered to the art rooms.

The afternoon arrived along with all the freshman and their luggage. As Steve stood behind a table adverting all the ‘great’ and ‘exciting’ opportunities there were from doing Creative Arts, he laughed quietly to himself as he watched them pull trunks that were not in good ratios to their bodies, remembering his first day on campus: how he’d almost broken two windows and how he and Sam found the nicest place on campus to hang out during any free time they had.   
He didn’t realise how much he had been day dreaming until he heard someone saying his name.   
“Steve…! Steve…?”  
“What?” Blinking he looked up and saw Bucky staring at him holding a tray of cookies.   
“I mean, I can see the whole bored and ‘I’m dead inside’ art student kind of look, but I’m not sure how much they (he gestured to the juniors milling about the quad) will understand it.”  
“Maybe a cookie might lighten the mood?” Steve suggested, smiling at Bucky, who smiled back and for the first time Steve got to see him at his peak; and frankly, Steve found it rather attractive. That dark hair, tied up in a messy bun, white straight teeth and his face held stories and intelligence that Steve just wanted to stay up till early hours of the morning listening to him talk.  He also go to see Bucky’s full figure, under a soft navy shirt – with the sleeves rolled up, revealing some beautifully tanned arms – Steve could see a toned body, not to muscular, yet not weedy and skinny. There was a table in the way, so he couldn’t see his legs, but he guessed that they were just as toned as the rest of him.   
Growling and muttering about how these were meant for the juniors, Bucky reluctantly offered the tray to Steve who took one, exchanging it for a slip of paper with his mobile number on. Bucky hadn’t noticed and hurried back over to Science and Engineering with his trusty tray.   
  
Although they were on opposite sides of the quad, they could still see each other. Steve watched as Bucky picked out the piece of paper and read it carefully, then just as Bucky looked up to catch his eye, he looked away.   
A minute or two later, his phone buzzed in his pocket and a text from an unknown number read: ‘ _I thought the cookie would make cheer you up_ _’_ Steve smiled and replied with:  _‘_ _I_ _’_ _m gonna need more than one to get me through the day_ _’_ He debated adding a kiss, but then he realised that only he and Sam did that, purely because Sam ended every text he had ever sent in the history of texts with a kiss.   
Steve looked up and saw Bucky casting a scowl across the quad; he raised his eye brows and gestured to the oncoming students. Just before they hit, Steve got a final text from Bucky:  _‘_ _See you on the other side_ _’_

The students began to clear of the quad, leaving the bored seniors to pack up their stands. Steve was carrying the blue banner for Creative Arts under one arm, and a bag of posters in the other hand when he heard footsteps behind him.

“Hey, Steve!” Bucky called, catching up with him.

“Hey, how was the rest of your afternoon?”

“Good, it’s a popular subject this year. How popular was Creative Arts?” Bucky seemed pleased with himself.

“It’s more popular than usual,” Steve sighed. “You got any of those cookies left?” He said in hope.

“No, but I’m gonna make some more tonight, Nat’s staying with Clint, and I don’t really want to hear them fucking all night.” Bucky held the door open for Steve and they walked to the art block.

“Wait, Natasha Romanoff? She’s down the corridor from me. Clint’s your roommate?”

“Yeah, he’s great but never really there overnight.”

“Do you want to borrow Sam’s bed, he’s away tonight and I don’t think he’d mind.”

“Oh my god! Are you sure?” They left all of Steve’s stuff in the art department and walked back to their halls.

“Yeah, it’s fine. Just you can pay for pizza.”

“Which floor are you on?” They started up the stairs, Bucky a little over excited.

“1. Where are you?”

“3, I’ll get my stuff and come and find you.” He disappeared further up the stairs.


	2. Adult Sleepovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky stays over

Steve unlocked his dorm door and stared at the mess that spread across the floor. Hurriedly, he threw all his clothes into the trunk under his bed, and he put all the food wrappers in the bin. After checking Sam’s bed was clear of crumbs and anything that Steve didn’t really want to find, he crashed on his bed, exhausted but waiting for Bucky.   
There was a knock on the door and Steve sprung out of bed almost tripping over the bin on the way.   
“I have cola and money!” Bucky’s voice sounded through the doors.   
“I suppose I should left you in!” He unlocked the door and let Bucky in. “What pizza do you want?”   
“I don’t know, Meat Feast?” Bucky shrugged and sat down on the bed.   
Steve rang Dominoes and ordered two meat feasts, some garlic bread and twelve chicken strippers. After he got off the phone, he turned to Bucky. “Too much?”   
“Nah, I’m starving.”   
Steve went and joined him sitting on the bed, sharing the bottle of cola.   
“So where were you hiding last year?” Bucky asked, stretching – seriously craving being able to put an arm around Steve.   
“The art block mainly, and me and Sam found this spot behind the Library that you can only get to through a door that’s always locked and no one has the key.”  
“But how did you get ther-” Bucky was cut off by Steve shushing him and reaching into a drawer and pulling out a key.   
“One of the cleaners ‘dropped it’ and out of our curiosity, we literally tried every fucking door on campus to find the one it fitted. We had the key copied, but we think it’s the only official one on campus.” Steve shrugged and threw the key back in the drawer.   
“What is it?” Bucky was excited by this mysterious room.   
Steve sighed, “I think it’s an old store room, Sam thinks it’s the room the professors used to lock annoying students in. There were a lot of broken chairs and desks in there when we found it, all covered in a fuck loads dust and cobwebs – which was really funny because Sam hates spiders – so we cleared it out, by putting the broken chairs at the back of different rooms and the desks are stacked in the corner. We bought bean bags and cushions to crash. There’s a mini fridge plugged into the wall, and it’s near enough to the library so we get campus WiFi in there. We’ve been planning to re paint the grey walls and get a blind for the window, so people can’t see in.”   
“So, no one knows about it?” Bucky was genuinely thrilled by this.   
“We don’t think so.” Steve took a long gulp of the drink and passed it back to Bucky.

There was knock at the door. “Pizza?”  
“Yeah,” Steve opened the door, and handed the guy the money, exchanging it for three pizza boxes and a smaller box.   
He closed the door and Frisbeed a box to Bucky, who was stabbed in the face by the corner. “Fuck!”  
“Sorry,” Said Steve, sitting down next to him. “Garlic bread?”   
“Sure,” Bucky took a piece. “How big’s the rooms then?”   
“Like, smaller than this room. Me and Sam can fit with some room, it’s long enough to lie out flat, but not wide enough. I don’t now really.” Steve shrugged.   
“Can I see it sometime?”   
“Sure, you can see it tomorrow.” Steve had realised that it would be the perfect place to possible, maybe make out with Bucky.”   
  
Steve had a joint Netflix account - shared with Sam and the guys the opposite dorm – so they sat and watched all the Tobey Maguire Spider-man movies till early in the morning. Steve was used to not getting much sleep, and didn’t fall asleep during the last one, but just before the end, he felt Bucky’s head fall onto his shoulder and his breathing get a little heavier. Carefully moving his laptop onto the floor, he moved away from Bucky, letting him fall down onto Steve’s bed, Steve went and sat up on Sam’s empty bed, watching Bucky, then gradually as the morning drew nearer, Steve dozed, waking to the sound of his alarm ringing.   
“Where am I?” The sleep filled voice of Bucky said. “Oh,” He continued, focussing on Steve. “Morning.”   
“Morning.” Steve replied, Bucky was kind of cute like this.   
“Oh god, I’m so sorry!” Bucky noticed that he was lying on Steve’s bed and not Sam’s.   
“It’s fine. But you better get back to your own room, I’m sure that I heard Tasha return to her room just now. Meet me in the kitchen in an hour and I’ll show you the secret room. OOoooOoooOOoo!” He pretended to become a magician.   
“Yeah, sure.” Bucky left, checking the corridor was empty.   
  
Steve was left alone in the room, thinking about how much he realised he liked Bucky, he hadn’t liked anyone this much since Peggy, and they lasted for most high school and the first few months of college. He was worried though, because if he got too close he could end up getting hurt.   
Interrupting his chain of though, his phone beeped:   
New Message – Bucky ‘They were still there. :( i hate you x’   
He was, of course, referring to Clint and Natasha.   
Steve replied with ‘Sorry :/ it might have been tony coming back from pepper’s x’  
He eagerly added the kiss at the end of the message, glad Bucky had been the one to start it. This sent Steve’s brain into overdrive: did this mean Bucky  _liked_ him? Was he just being friendly?  
“Euurrgghh!” He crashed backwards into the bed.


	3. Sexual Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It hasn't got sex in it

Around an hour later, Steve was sitting on the kitchen counter, drinking juice straight out of an unnamed carton. He’d had a shower and got changed into a pair of black jeans – his favourite, mainly because they had never ripped and they always seemed to fit – and a red plaid shirt – with a small tear above the shoulder, from an over-enthusiastic Sam trying to get Steve to give him a piggyback.   
Bucky appeared, tired and drowsy, but there was an energy around him because he enjoyed being with Steve (not that Steve knew this).   
“Hey.” Steve said, jumping down from the counter.   
“Hey, I’m all excited about this.” Bucky was so tired that his body had gone into the state when it is so tired it can’t function properly anymore.   
“Come on then,” Steve led the way; they passed the Library and Steve pushed his way between the old yew tree and the wall. “Through here.”  
Bucky followed and found himself in a small space, squished next to Steve as he opened the door. The key finally clicked in the lock and Steve pushed the door, opening his and Sam’s (and now Bucky’s) secret study/break/nap/eating/whatever else they used it for room.   
“It’s so nice!” Bucky stepped inside and was followed by Steve, who shut the door, filling the room with darkness.   
Neither of them knew what it was about it that moment, but there was something about being in the dark, in an enclosed space opened a locked door in each of their hearts.   
Steve felt himself being pushed by Bucky against the wall and Bucky’s lips on his. He froze in surprise, but soon enough, his lips were pushing back against Bucky’s.   
Steve felt electric, he was buzzing with energy and his head filled with the thoughts of Bucky’s soft hands on his neck and his strong waist under his own grip, although he was tense, he wasn’t scared, he was tense with adrenaline. Steve could feel the energy pumping through Bucky as he carried on kissing him; Bucky was dizzy with the shock that Steve was accepting the kiss and not pushing him away with a disgusted look on his face.   
Bucky pulled back, his arms still around Steve’s neck, a smile drawn across his face – not that Steve could see, the light was still off – one of Steve’s hands flicked the switch on the wall, illuminating the small room.   
It shed light on Steve’s flushed cheeks and Bucky’s broad smile, making them both laugh.   
“That was unexpected,” Steve’s cheeks began to calm down. “But I liked it.”  
“Me too.” Bucky had a cheeky smirk on his face.   
“Do you wanna, like, do that again?” Steve blushed again, embarrassed but buzzing.   
This time, Steve was prepared for the kiss and more passion flooded into it, Bucky pressed his lips over Steve’s and they rhythmically moved together.   
Pulling apart again, Steve was a little out of breath. He hadn’t kissed like that in a long time, and not with another guy for a long while.   
A cheesy grin grew on Steve’s face, and mockingly he said “Do you wanna go out with me?” Mimicking his middle school aged cousin.   
“Yes!” Bucky, also mocking, squealed.   
“Shit that was loud.” Steve rubbed his ears, complaining.   
Whimpering Bucky apologised and kissed Steve on the cheek.

They returned to Steve’s room, laughing, only to find Sam sitting on his bed scowling at them.   
“Hi Sam,” Steve said awkwardly, “You’re back then.”   
“Yeah, and you said you’d help be unpack but apparently you had better things to do.” He nodded towards Bucky.   
“Oh shit yeah, I forgot. Sorry?” Steve shrugged, biting his lip.  
Standing up, Sam looked like he was about to throw a punch at Steve. He put on a gravelly voice and said “Sorry isn’t enough,” Then his expression softened and he smiled. “Nah, it’s alright, me and Rhodey carried my heavier stuff in. Who’s this guy?”   
“This is Bucky Barnes.”  
“Bucky? What kind of a name is that?” Sam snorted like Steve had when he first met him.   
Sighing heavily, “It’s a nickname – short for Buchannan.” He said.   
“He woke me up baking cookies at three in the freaking morning a couple of days ago.” Steve pushed past Sam to sit down on his bed.   
Sam’s scowl returned. “Why?” He didn’t move to let Bucky in their room.   
“Student Orientation.” Bucky said, trying to get past Sam.   
“Can we let him in?” Sam looked back at Steve who had picked up his laptop.   
“Yeah, he’s my-” Stopping, he looked up at Bucky who shook his head and made a shut up motion with his hand across his neck. “-he stayed over last night and he’s seen the room.”   
“What?!” Sam was shocked that Steve would make such a decision without him. “But we agreed…”  
“I wasn’t thinking straight.” Steve said nonchalantly.   
“Steve, you haven’t done anything straight since the day you were born.” Sam replied joking about Steve’s lack of heterosexuality, but the under tones of that were forgiveness. “He’ll need a key then, but make his pay for it, I had to buy mine.”   
“How much was it?” Steve asked, barely looking up from his laptop.   
“I dunno, get it cut and he can pay.” Sam dropped down back onto his own bed, picking up his phone.   
  
Bucky stood awkwardly in the middle of the room for a moment, unsure where to go; Steve noticed and gestured to sit down next to him on the bed.   
On Steve’s laptop screen was a map of their campus, with different areas marked with crosses.   
“Steve?” Said Sam, looking up from his phone.   
“Yeah?” Steve zoomed in on the gym and sports facilities.   
“What’s the plan for tomorrow?”   
“Oh, shit, the junior’s party.” He shrugged – him and Sam were the ‘undercover pranksters’ of campus, they pranked people, but never directly so no one knew who began the actions. “Spike the drinks with laxative?”  
“Wait what?” Bucky wasn’t suddenly unsure of his company, he’d never been sent out, never had a detention, never gotten in any kind of trouble; but Sam and Steve seemed to be the kind of people who weren’t so worried.   
“I’m taking the baton from my brother and his roommate of pranking anyone and everyone on campus at least once in our time on campus.” Sam said, explaining to Bucky. “Remember the incident with the feathers and custard on the quad last year?”   
“That was you!?”  
“Yeah, I-” Sam was interrupted by Steve.   
“That was so not you! I had to empty at least five pillows from the floor above’s washing and _I_ bought the custard power, all you did was hang the bag of feathers in the tree.” Steve really wanted to impress Bucky, because he really liked him and after their kiss they were (un)officially dating.   
“I poured all that custard into that one bucket and had to balance it carefully from the window.” He indignantly replied.   
“Well, it looks like you two have some planning to do,” Bucky stood up, Steve quickly copying him. “I better get back. Clint might wonder where I am.”   
He called from the door, “See you Sam!” Then, Steve felt himself being pulled towards Bucky into another kiss. “Bye Steve.” Bucky whispered into his ear and left.   
“Bye…” He whispered to a closed door.   
  
“WOAH FUCKING WHAT FUCKING DIDN’T TELL ME!” Sam yelled at Steve, who went ketchup red.   
“Fuck you!” Steve laughed it off and crashed back on his bed.   
“So… you too…I don’t… what…since when… you know what? As long as you don’t disturb my sleep.” He gave up and turned back to his phone. “Have we got any laxative left?”   
“I’ll check the trunk,” Steve was still smiling as he reached under the bed and into their shared trunk, filled with plans and equipment for their pranks. “There’s almost half a bottle, maybe get some more?”   
“Sure, look I’m kinda tired so I’m gonna have a nap, wake me up if the world’s about to end, it would look nice on Instagram.” He rolled over and tried to sleep, but just before he dozed off, Sam, muttered, “You and Barnes, that’s cute.”


End file.
